Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) Issues Earnings Results

Navigator (NYSE:NVGS) issued its earnings results on Tuesday. The shipping company reported $0.85 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.53 by $0.32, Zacks reports. Navigator had a return on equity of 7.01% and a net margin of 18.84%.

Navigator Stock Performance

NYSE:NVGS traded down $0.41 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $21.39. 445,282 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 418,810. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $21.36 and a 200 day moving average price of $20.56. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.10 and a beta of 0.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.16 and a quick ratio of 1.10. Navigator has a twelve month low of $14.08 and a twelve month high of $24.36.

Navigator Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 20th were issued a $0.07 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, May 20th. This represents a $0.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. Navigator’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 17.18%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Navigator from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Navigator from $24.00 to $27.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Finally, Zacks Research raised Navigator from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and five have assigned a Buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $23.33.

Insider Transactions at Navigator

In related news, COO Michael Schroder sold 25,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $23.63, for a total transaction of $590,750.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 5,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $118,150. The trade was a 83.33% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Oeyvind Lindeman sold 6,259 shares of Navigator stock in a transaction on Friday, May 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.70, for a total value of $135,820.30. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Navigator

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of NVGS. California State Teachers Retirement System bought a new position in Navigator during the 2nd quarter valued at about $29,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its holdings in Navigator by 2,794.4% during the 3rd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 2,055 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 1,984 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Navigator in the third quarter valued at about $43,000. Legal & General Group Plc bought a new stake in shares of Navigator in the second quarter worth $42,000. Finally, Osaic Holdings Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Navigator by 21,406.2% in the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 3,441 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $49,000 after buying an additional 3,425 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 18.95% of the company’s stock.

About Navigator

Navigator Holdings Ltd. is a global shipping company specializing in the seaborne transportation of liquefied gases. The company’s fleet is purpose-built to carry a range of petrochemical gases, including liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), ethylene, propylene and ammonia. Navigator’s vessels are designed to meet the stringent safety and environmental standards required for handling pressurized and refrigerated gases, offering flexible capacity to customers across the energy and chemical sectors.

Navigator operates one of the largest and most modern fleets of gas carriers in the industry, with vessels ranging from fully pressurized gas carriers to specialized very large ethane carriers (VLECs).